Jack Kingston and Don Lemon (Photo: Screen capture)
Don Lemon was not in the mood for typical GOP spin on Thursday night's show. In a conversation about President Donald Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped him, former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) was turning in circles.
Lemon played clips of press secretary Sean Spicer's briefing in which Spicer reiterated the claim that Trump didn't mean "wiretapping" when he said "wiretap." Spicer also tried to trash anonymous sources while admitting that the White House itself uses anonymous sources.
"It's their double standard," panelist Kirsten Powers from USA Today said. "I don't think reporters have complained about anonymous sources. The White House has complained about them and said we shouldn't pay attention anytime there are anonymous sources."
Kingston began by saying that Spicer went down a "litany of open source media" to justify that Trump's claims were rational. He then said that as he understood it, Trump said "surveillance, wiretapping, we talked about that."
Lemon cut in, asking if Kingston watched Lemon's opening segment of his broadcast.
"He never said that. I put up exactly what he said in those tweets. He never said surveillance. He was very specific about what he said. He said 'McCarthyism,' comparing a former president to Joseph McCarthy and also to Richard Nixon ... 'he was impeached.' ... He said 'he is a bad sick guy.' A personal attack on the former president accusing of a federal crime. He never said anything about an agency or surveilling. He said 'wiretapped my phone' specifically. Then said it was a case for lawyer. In fact, he said he had proof of it. Please, don't spin something not said by the president."
Kingston claimed that Trump also did a teaser saying that more would come out in two weeks and everyone would see.
"Jack, I'm going to ask you, do you actually think that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower?" Lemon asked.
Kingston admitted he didn't.
Watch the exchange below:
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